The former cricketer said that India was still the favourite to win the ongoing tournament in Oman and United Arab Emirates (UAE).
While the loss of India to arch-rivals Pakistan has not sat well with many cricket fans, many still believed that the Indian side had some players who could not make much of the situation in their first game of Group 2 in ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 in Dubai.
Talking about the same, former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has claimed that the selection of all-rounder Hardik Pandya in the playing XI became the Men in Blue's biggest setback.
The man, who had "waited for 30 years to see Pakistan beat India in a World Cup match," had questioned skipper Virat Kohli's decision to include Pandya in the squad who has not been in a good form lately.
"India's biggest setback was that they played with Hardik Pandya. India were not right with their team selection. Babar Azam knew exactly what he was doing with his XI but India were not," Inzamam said on his YouTube channel.
The former captain also said that Team India did not get their combination right and had lacked a sixth bowler. Put in to bat at No. 7, Pandya scored just 11 runs off 8 balls. He also hurt his shoulder while attempting a pull shot off Shaheen Shah Afridi in the 19th over. The all-rounder did not even come to the field and was taken for scans.
"I did not think it was the right thing for Pandya to point towards his shoulder after being hit. When you play a high-voltage match like this, you don't give a clue to the opposition even when you are hurt. I have seen Indian players like Sachin Tendulkar get hit but they didn't use to rub that part. They gave no clue that they were hurt. I immediately got a clue that India was under pressure when Pandya grabbed his shoulders. That was not a good sign. He didn't come out in the field, didn't bowl," the former Pakistan batsman said.
Inzamam also heaped praise on Pakistan skipper Babar Azam, who made "good use of his multiple bowling options and got two overs out of the way using the experienced Mohammad Hafeez."
"If India played the sixth bowler, then it would have been better. Look at how playing Mohammad Hafeez gave an advantage to Babar Azam. He got two overs out of the way by using Hafeez instead of bowling four from Imad Wasim. They had Shoaib Malik too," he added.
The former cricketer added that India was still the favourite to win the ongoing tournament in Oman and United Arab Emirates (UAE).
He stated that the Virat Kohli-led India have a greater chance of winning the trophy as the conditions are similar to the subcontinent, which makes India the most dangerous side in the event.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Hardik Pandya, Virat Kohli")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}